I awake, still stunned by the absurdity of the UK voting to leave Europe.
A quick Kipling break:
“WINDS of the World, give answer! They are whimpering to and fro—
And what should they know of England who only England know?—
The poor little street-bred people that vapour and fume and brag,
They are lifting their heads in the stillness to yelp at the English Flag!”
What can I do to relieve my gloom? I know, look at dead fish.
Marlin
I go down to the Toya fish harbor to get my prescription filled.
Big boy Tuna
I mean how stupid can people be? Leave Europe? Even in a Japanese fish market it makes no sense.
I buy an Octopus, which makes me feel better. It is an Octopus. Sometimes they are missing tentacles, which makes them Septopus or even Sexopus.
The Battle of Okinawa was grotesque beyond imagination.
The ceremony was very moving. It is a big deal. Prime Minister Abe and senior members of the Cabinet are there. Caroline Kennedy, US Ambassador, is there. We sit two security rows behind Abe.
They translate the main speeches for the 6 Gaijin present.
The battle was inconceivably fierce. It destroyed every building, burnt every single tree and all vegetation. It left a wasteland of mud, maggots and blood. About 35% of the civilian population of the island were slain. Women and children mostly.
Onaga san is the Governor of Okinawa. He got it right, “We cannot forget the unimaginable absurdity and cruelty of the war our people experienced.”
So, we have been through the rainy season and without a doubt the Summer has arrived. This weekend has been glorious.
7:30 this morning
I spend all day paying attention to the Scaffie, who I think suspects my clumsy philandering with another boat. We go for a long sail out beyond Cape Zampa. Brilliantly white terns screech as they fish around the boat. By the time I get back to the mooring at lunchtime-ish the tide is far out and I anchor the Scaffie er far out.
Amazing colors
I then go for an afternoon sail.
I put my false teeth in the waterproof bag
Close hauled.
I then go for a sunset sail.
It is gloriously warm
Sunset at sea
In between sailing, I watch the rugby internationals, which someone has kindly posted on YouTube.
The Summer edition of The Marine Quarterly arrives on the day I set off to Miyako Jima to look at a boat. Hooray, I can read it on the flight down and like get in the mood.
Boarding
I get to Miyako Jima, eat soba and read more sea stories.
So here is the story. The Norfolk Gypsy is a very fine boat.
This is a long way from Norfolk. So, should I ditch my faithful Scaffie who never done me wrong and take up with a fancy new boat? I feel sleazy as I set off to check out her lines.
Anyway the owner, the delightful Taguchi san, speaks no English and as you know, my Japanese has got no further than, “Can you lend me 10,000 yen please?” My amazing luck holds good as a colleague mentions that he has a good friend on Miyako who is a Japanese/English interpreter. This is how I get to know the wonderful Saemi. She meets me at the hotel on Friday morning and off we go to the fishing harbor. Both of us are tremendously excited.
She has been here for 4 years.
Taguchi san!
Saemi!
So, the boat is a total mess and I think she has crossed the point of no return.
4 years of blazing sun and typhoons
Will she ever thunka thunka again?
Mainsail will need replacing. Red bits are patched tears.
Every bit of woodwork, every pulley, every cleat has been unscrewed and stored, hence strips of sticking plaster everywhere.
There are lots of boxes of screws and bolts inside the boat. Putting it back together will be like building a 747 out of lego with no instructions.
The bottom line is that restoring the boat is doable but is a full time job for some months and lotsa cash. I have to go to work.
The decision lies with the Japanese government. If I get a residence permit, then post retirement, this would be fun to do.
Anyway, I then go and rent a scooter.
More fun in the scooter shop.
Miyako is beautiful.
It is very hot.
I eat a Mango ice cream thing. This shows how hot it is. I never eat ice cream.
Saturday morning – I tootle off to the Toya fish market. It is 10 mins from the house.
Cockles and mussels
The market lasts about 15 minutes. I starts at 10:00 and the auctioneer rushes around selling off the various lots to what I assume to be restaurant owners and the like. I try to buy an octopus but am politely told that I am not a member of the club.
Members Only
So I amble over to the shed where sashimi is cut up. I buy 2 red fish that are delicious deep fried and an octopus.
Red fish bottom left.
Totally fresh. I didn’t buy any of these but now wish I had
I also get some of the best fast food in the world: squid and fish tempura, cooked in front of you and put into a nice white paper bag.
50 cents a hit for fresh seafood. Oichi!
Munching tempura, I drive slowly home feeling good. I n a tiny back street I fall upon a newly opened wine store! Okinawa is a good place to live.
I think it is called “Un Deux Trois” but I took the photo from the wrong angle and cannot see the sign.
This hard to believe. Cerdon is an obscure pinkish vin petillant that is produced in small quantities in the Bugey. Drank it some in Geneva days. Now I can get it in Yomitan!
Young couple running the place are wild eyed with enthusiasm and high levels of milk of human kindness. I hope it works for them. I buy a Rioja and a Rose, can’t find accents on Japanese keyboard, de Provence. Quality of life remarkably high. Unfortunately no wind and drizzle-ish.
Orchids in kitchen doing well
P.S. I forgot to mention that the charming couple lent me an umbrella as it was pouring. I take it back today. As soon as I leave the shop, there is a downpour. Someone wanted me wet.
“Full many a gem of purest ray serene
The dark unfathom’d caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.”
Thank you Thomas Gray.
I cannot let these incredible sunsets blush unseen.
So, we will move away from evacuation zone to my ingestion zone. One of my teeth disintegrated a few weeks ago and today I go to have a crown glued on.
The two ladies take exquisite pains to get everything just right. The crown is taken off for adjustment and then replaced many, many times. They slip little sheets of colored paper between my teeth and say, “Biteu or kash, kash, kash or giri, giri, giri.” depending on whether they want me to bite down, to tap or to grind. My dentistry Japanese is good.
Finally after endless adjustment, the crown seating is presented to the next level of power, who fiddles and grinds a bit and pronounces approval. Then the head honcho is called. He sniffs and tweaks and gives the green light. I am amazed by their extreme diligence.
When the going was good. Iha san on the left.
The totally delightful Iha san glues on the crown. She summons the head honcho who looks at it and goes Japanese cosmic. Moans and grunts from honcho, howls from Iha san inform me that something is not right. She has stuck the crown in like wrong. She is in bits.
I do my best to console her but the emotional level is very high. It looks like they will have to cut up the crown and start the treatment afresh – new mould, new crown manufacture, back to square one. To tell you the truth, I have little grasp of what is going on however middle power brings a tool which is hammer-ish and lo she knocks the crown off.
Crown subsequently stuck on properly and I can go. I was in the chair for over 2 hours. Poor Iha san.
Much was planned for today. The voyage up the coast to photograph Terns has been clouding my judgement since I was informed that clouds of Roseate and Black Naped Terns arrived last Friday.
I spring from the futon early, only to recognize that the spell of the enchanted vial is still strong. Six hours on an open boat far from facilities could be er, uncomfortable.
I abandon sailing and embrace diving. First dive of the year! I stumble out over the low tide lagoon and lower my huge bulk into the embrace of deep water.
Still Life
Mummy little blue fish with lots of baby little blue fish. Click on the photos
Its amazing down here!
Pretty fish
Calling out around the world.
It is wonderful to be underwater again. Just in front of my house is the epicenter of Bat Fish er, around here. They are rare.
It is incredible to get so close.
Holy wet cat in a tree Batman!
Can this be real?
Anyway, after that I went for a sail around the place.
